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*** Official 12th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2011 *** (1 Viewer)

Jim_K

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I don’t have a vagina so I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like Twilight – no need to torture myself. Speaking of masochistic behavior - At what point does one say to one’s self, wow Holy Shit! every one of these Leprechaun films I’ve watched has been absolutely horrid, but maybe the series will redeem itself with the next entry?


Sorry, I kid....... I’m in one of my moods.


Been mostly watching flics with my kids - Ghostbusters, MIB, the new Blu-ray set of the Jurassic Park trilogy. If I can watch it with my kids I won’t count it as a horror film.


Brides of Dracula – dusted off my Universal Hammer set, one of my favorite vampire films from my favorite Horror studio. Every bit as good as Horror of Dracula even without Chris Lee, superb production values and my god the colors are a wonder to behold. Look ma! my DVD-18’s still work!


Vampire Cirus – finally got around to watching the Blu-ray. Doesn’t hold up well for me, a very weak story with poor production values masked by amped up gore and gratuitous nudity. A far cry from the studio’s glory days.


From Hell – I’m partial to Gothic period horror and this is one of (if not) the best “Jack the Ripper” flics. The conclusion of the Ripper’s motives are a bit farfetched but it’s a solid film with loads of atmosphere. Plus it’s a story from one of my favorite lunatic writers Alan Moore


The Lost Boys – Surprised how well this holds up, stylish and entertaining but don’t expect anything of substance. I place it behind Near Dark but ahead of Fright Night in the 80’s vampire film pantheon.


Poltergeist – Steven Speilburgs suburbanite horror holds up as a nasty flip-side to ET.


All are revisits except


Sre4m – The original film was somewhat entertaining and fresh at the time but I was never much of a fan of this series. Too many smarmy twentysomething’s that think they’re more clever than they really are, too many contrived situations, plus someone wearing a Halloween mask sporting a knife just doesn’t scare me in the least unless they can get up and walk away after unloading a .357 into their chest.


Lost track of my count and I'm too lazy to go find my last post. I'm probably in the lead though
 

TravisR

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102. New Moon I have no clue what Twilight fans thought of this movie but I would imagine that they were let down because this movie is really lousy. The biggest problem is that Taylor Lautner is the third lead but he's not a very good actor (I'd put the blame on the producers who were probably more concerned about beauty than acting ability) especially when he's got to deliver such ridiculous dialogue. A good actor can make that kind of thing work to some degree (the other actors in the movie do alright with it) but goofy dialogue sounds even worse when it's coming from a person who isn't that good. The CG wolf effects are laughably fake. And outside of 300, this is the most I've ever seen slow motion abused in a movie. 103. Eclipse A rebound for the series. Out of the three movies, this is easily the one I liked the most. The supporting characters are given some time to shine. The cast is good (Lautner excepted) despite the melodramatic goofiness of the script and dialogue. The fights are interesting and while you know none of the main characters are ever really in danger, the scenes are still exciting and fairly well done. The CG wolves are still lame looking and Lautner still can't act but he doesn't have as much screen time as he did in the second one. Onward to the Halloween series... Totals: 1. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) 2. A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2- Freddy's Revenge 3. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3- Dream Warriors 4. A Nightmare On Elm Street 4- The Dream Master 5. A Nightmare On Elm Street- The Dream Child 6. Freddy's Dead- The Final Nightmare 7. Wes Craven's New Nightmare 8. A Nightmare On Elm Steet (2010) 9. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) 10. Scream 11. Scream 2 12. Scream 3 13. Scream 4 14. Friday The 13th (1980) (uncut) 15. Friday The 13th Part 2 16. Friday The 13th Part 3 17. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter 18. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning 19. Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part VI 20. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood 21. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 22. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday 23. Jason X 24. Freddy Vs. Jason 25. Friday The 13th (2009) (uncut) 26. The Mist 27. Firestarter 28. Saw 29. Saw II (uncut) 30. Saw III (uncut) 31. Saw IV (uncut) 32. Saw V (uncut) 33. Saw VI (uncut) 34. Saw 3D (uncut) 35. Piranha (1978) 36. The Howling 37. Gremlins 38. Prom Night (1980) 39. He Knows You're Alone 40. Terror Train 41. Maniac (1980) 42. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (uncut) 43. Eyes Of A Stranger 44. The Prowler 45. Graduation Day 46. The Burning 47. Happy Birthday To Me 48. Hell Night 49. Madman 50. April Fool's Day (1986) 51. Psycho (1960) 52. Psycho II 53. Psycho III 54. Psycho IV: The Beginning 55. The Thing (1982) 56. The Thing (2011) 57. Cabin Fever (director's cut) 58. Hostel (director's cut) 59. Hostel Part II (uncut) 60. Let The Right One In 61. Let Me In 62. Silver Bullet 63. The Stepfather (1987) 64. The Car 65. Road Games 66. Someone's Watching Me! 67. The Fog (1980) 68. Christine 69. Prince Of Darkness 70. Body Bags 71. In The Mouth Of Madness 72. Village Of The Damned (1995) 73. Vampires 74. Ghosts Of Mars 75. Masters Of Horror: Cigarette Burns 76. Masters Of Horrror: Pro-Life 77. Planet Terror 78. Paranormal Activity 3 79. Cat People (1942) 80. I Walked With A Zombie 81. The Leopard Man 82. The Seventh Victim 83. The Ghost Ship 84. The Curse Of The Cat People 85. The Body Snatcher 86. Isle Of The Dead 87. Bedlam 88. Pet Sematary 89. Pet Semetary II 90. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) 91. Dawn Of The Dead (1978) 92. Day Of The Dead (1985) 93. Creepshow 94. Creepshow 2 95. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 96. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (unrated) 97. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (unrated) 98. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation 99. Eaten Alive 100. The Funhouse 101. Twilight 102. New Moon 103. Eclipse bold= new viewing
 

BobO'Link

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Jim_K said:
...Been mostly watching flics with my kids - Ghostbusters, MIB, the new Blu-ray set of the Jurassic Park trilogy. If I can watch it with my kids I won’t count it as a horror film...
Why not? Even though it may not be "scary" to you it could be to your kids. If you use that qualification you wouldn't count Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, or just about any of the Uni Horror titles, most of which are OK for kids 6-7 and up. I started watching those at just about that age and absolutely loved them! I'll be watching Ernest Scared Stupid Halloween night with the grand kids (age 5 & 8). It has a "horror" genre classification at IMDB so I'll count it.
 

BobO'Link

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Several more to add to the growing pile... All never before seen by me except for The Skull. The Black Cat (1981) - Not bad. I've seen several films called The Black Cat and all are different to varying degrees with some having nothing to do with the Poe story. This is very loosely based on the story. I really didn't think I'd like still another version but was surprised and it wasn't as gory as I'd expected. The Eerie Midnight Horror Show (1974) - On a Mill Creek 50 film set. Will never watch again. Monstroid (1980) - One of those "so bad it's good" kind of films. Bad acting, direction, effects, creature. Laughed a lot, but will probably never watch again. Blade: Trinity (2004) - Not as bad as I was expecting after reading several reviews. Essentially it's more of the same. Not as good as the orginal but still a fun popcorn type flick. Guru, The Mad Monk (1972) - I gave this a "0". While not as bad as The Beast from Yucca Flats it *does* give it a run for its money. Saved only be fairly decent costumes, a few interesting sets, and a few good looking women. However, be warned that the dialog, direction, and acting all came from your favorite 7th grade class who've never done anything like this before. Don't Answer the Phone! (1980) - Should have been Don't Watch this Film. Yet another phone/slasher movie. I don't like these to start with so they have to be *really* good for me to care. This one wasn't. The Oval Portrait (1972) - Interesting premis that was fully wasted. It could have been a nice Hammer type gothic horror piece but they chose to do a more 70's made-for-TV instead. The Undertaker and His Pals (1966) - Fun in a twisted sort of way. If I ever re-watch this I just might up my rating. Just becareful *which* diner you chose for your dinner... Night of Bloody Horror (1969) - *Another* slasher film. I'm determined to watch all the films on that Mill Creek set (True Terror) so I'm including these piles of steaming dog doo... Never again. The Skull (1965) - Had to break up the dross with quality. A collector comes into possession of the skull of the Marquis de Sade and learns it is possessed by an evil spirit. Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough. A very nice little gothic horror/thriller from Amicus. The Deadly Bees (1967) - This wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The mattes of the bees was done OK for the times but these type films just don't do anything for me. At least this one had a fairly large, well done, build before the bees attacked. I'm the only person I know who laughed when they saw Hitchcock's The Birds. Neither of these two films I found to be particularly scary but IMHO The Deadly Bees is more atmospheric than The Birds. Given a choice I'll take The Deadly Bees any day. I find The Birds to be highly over-rated. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) - Yep... another stinker. A hunchback/cripple henchman who appears to be in makeup. Bad acting, dialog, you name it. Fangs of the Living Dead (1969) - Fun little gothic Vampire tale. Good looking women with nice costumes and sets. Nothing special, just fun. Here's a fun sample of dialog: Vampiress: I need fresh, warm, human blood. Man: Will mine do? Vampiress: Is it very warm? Man: I'm Italian! The Flesh and the Fiends [U.K. ver.] (1960) - Another excellent gothic horror with Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence. Quite possibly one of the best "body snatcher" films I've ever seen. And my updated list, spoilerized due to length (now at 143 films):
- First time viewing ▲▲▲▲▲ - Rating on a 1 to 5 scale October 1st 1. The Blood Beast Terror (1968) ▲▲▲▲▲ 2. The Mummy's Shroud (1967) ▲▲▲▲▲ 3. The Innocents (1961) ▲▲▲▲ 4. The Plague of the Zombies (1966) ▲▲▲▲ 5. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) ▲▲▲▲▲ 6. How to Make a Monster (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲ 7. Blood of Dracula (1957) ▲▲▲▲ 8. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲ 9. Nightmare Castle (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲ 10. Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 2nd 11. Carnival of Souls (1962) ▲▲▲▲ 12. Atom Age Vampire (1960) ▲▲▲▲ 13. Black Dragons (1942) ▲▲▲▲ 14. Invisible Ghost (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲ 15. One Body Too Many (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 16. White Zombie (1932) ▲▲▲▲▲ 17. The Last Man on Earth (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲ 18. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 19. The Screaming Skull (1958) ▲▲▲▲ 20. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 3rd 21. Dead Men Walk (1943) ▲▲▲▲▲ 22. The Mad Monster (1942) ▲▲▲▲▲ 23. Up From the Depths (1979) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 4th 24. Maniac (1934) ▲▲▲▲▲ 25. Frogs (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲ 26. The Vampire Bat (1933) ▲▲▲▲▲ 27. The Monster Maker (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 28. The Ape (1940) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 5th 29. King of the Zombies (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲ 30. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 6th 31. Bluebeard (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 32. The Evil Dead (1981) ▲▲▲▲ 33. The Corpse Vanishes (1942) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 7th 34. Swamp Women (1956) ▲▲▲▲ 35. The Devil Rides Out (1968) ▲▲▲▲ 36. Hardware (1990) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 8th 37. Tormented (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 38. Dracula (1931) ▲▲▲▲▲ 39. Drácula [Spanish] (1931) ▲▲▲▲ 40. Alien (1979) ▲▲▲▲▲ 41. Aliens (1986) ▲▲▲▲ 42. Alien³ (1992) ▲▲▲▲▲ 43. Alien: Resurrection (1997) ▲▲▲▲▲ 44. The Phantom of the Opera (1962) ▲▲▲▲ 45. Friday the 13th (1980) ▲▲▲▲▲ 46. The Road to Dracula (1999) ▲▲▲▲ October 9th 47. Dracula's Daughter (1936) ▲▲▲▲▲ 48. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (aka Daikyojû Gappa) (1967) ▲▲▲▲▲ 49. The Monster Walks (1932) ▲▲▲▲▲ 50. Matango (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲ 51. Nosferatu (1922) ▲▲▲▲ 52. The Gorilla (1939) ▲▲▲▲▲ 53. Son of Dracula (1943) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 10th 54. Bloodlust! (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲ 55. The Grapes Of Death (1978) ▲▲▲▲▲ 56. The Amazing Mr. X (1948) ▲▲▲▲▲ 57. The Bat (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 58. Dementia 13 (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 11th 59. The Wolfman (2010) ▲▲▲▲▲ 60. Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) ▲▲▲▲▲ 61. The Corpse (aka Crucible of Horror) (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 12th 62. The Dungeon of Harrow (1962) ▲▲▲▲ 63. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) ▲▲▲▲▲ 64. Double Exposure (1983) ▲▲▲▲ October 13th 65. Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973) ▲▲▲▲▲ 66. Cloverfield (2008) ▲▲▲▲▲ 67. Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966) ▲▲▲▲ October 14th 68. Black Sunday (1960) ▲▲▲▲ 69. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) ▲▲▲▲ 70. The Werewolf of Washington (1973) ▲▲▲▲ October 15th 71. Quatermass II: Enemy from Space (1957) ▲▲▲▲ 72. They Saved Hitler's Brain (aka The Madmen of Mandoras) (1963) ▲▲▲▲ 73. The Thirsty Dead (1974) ▲▲▲▲ 74. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 75. Scars of Dracula (1970) ▲▲▲▲▲ 76. Lust for a Vampire (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ 77. Eating Raoul (1982) ▲▲▲▲ 78. Poltergeist (1982) ▲▲▲▲▲ 79. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 80. Elvira's Movie Macabre - Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974/198?) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 16th 81. The Manster (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 82. Blood Sabbath (1972) ▲▲▲▲ 83. The Devil's Nightmare (aka La plus longue nuit du diable) (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ 84. I Vampiri (aka Lust of the Vampire) (1956) ▲▲▲▲ 85. Kill Baby, Kill (1966) ▲▲▲▲ 86. The Return of the Vampire (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 87. Galaxy of Terror (1981) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 17th 88. Terror-Creatures from the Grave (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲ 89. Black Sabbath (1963) ▲▲▲▲ 90. Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) ▲▲▲▲ October 18th 91. The House That Screamed (1969) ▲▲▲▲ 92. Keep My Grave Open (1976) ▲▲▲▲ 93. To the Devil a Daughter (1976) ▲▲▲▲▲ 94. Psycho (1960) ▲▲▲▲ 95. Frankenstein 80 (1972) ▲▲▲▲ October 19th 96. The House by the Cemetery (1981) ▲▲▲▲▲ 97. Death Warmed Over (1984) ▲▲▲▲ 98. The Girl who Knew too Much (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲ 99. The Embalmer (1965) ▲▲▲▲ October 20th 100. Night Fright (1967) ▲▲▲▲▲ 101. Count Dracula’s Great Love (1974) ▲▲▲▲▲ 102. Attack of the Puppet People (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲ 103. Earth vs. The Spider (2001) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 21st 104. The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ 105. My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) ▲▲▲▲▲ 106. Night of the Living Dead (1968) ▲▲▲▲ 107. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) [rating for RiffTrax] ▲▲▲▲ October 22nd 108. Point of Terror (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ 109. Satan's Slave (1976) ▲▲▲▲▲ 110. The Vampires' Night Orgy (1974) ▲▲▲▲▲ 111. Grave of the Vampire (1974) ▲▲▲▲ 112. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) ▲▲▲▲▲ 113. Vampires (1998) ▲▲▲▲▲ 114. Dawn of the Dead (1978) ▲▲▲▲▲ 115. The Green Slime (1968) ▲▲▲▲▲ 116. Night Shadows (aka Mutant) (1984) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 23rd 117. The Tell-Tale Heart (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 118. Devil's Possessed (1974) ▲▲▲▲▲ 119. Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) ▲▲▲▲ 120. Cry of the Werewolf (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 121. Bride of the Monster (1955) ▲▲▲▲▲ 122. The City of the Dead (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 123. The Awful Dr. Orloff (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲ 124. Twins of Evil (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 24th 125. Curse of Bigfoot (wrap-around for Teenagers Battle the Thing) (1958/1978) ▲▲▲▲ 126. Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲ 127. The Fly (1986) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 25th 128. El espejo de la bruja (The Witche's Mirror) (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲ 129. The Tingler (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 130. The Black Cat (1981) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 26th 130. The Eerie Midnight Horror Show (1974) ▲▲▲▲ 131. Monstroid (1980) ▲▲▲▲ 132. Blade: Trinity (2004) ▲▲▲▲▲ 133. Guru, The Mad Monk (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 27th 134. Don't Answer the Phone! (1980) ▲▲▲▲ 135. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) ▲▲▲▲ 136. The Oval Portrait (1972) ▲▲▲▲ 137. The Undertaker and His Pals (1966) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 28th 138. Night of Bloody Horror (1969) ▲▲▲▲▲ 139. The Skull (1965) ▲▲▲▲ 140. The Deadly Bees (1967) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 29th 141. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) ▲▲▲▲ 142. Fangs of the Living Dead (1969) ▲▲▲▲▲ 143. The Flesh and the Fiends [U.K. ver.] (1960) ▲▲▲▲
 

PatW

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Season of the Witch (2011) :star::star::half: Much of Europe in the 14th century is devastated by a terrible plague. A couple of knights are coerced into escorting a young woman believed to be a witch, to a remote abbey where a cleansing ritual can be performed and hopefully to rid the land of this evil plague. Mediocre story with some good scenes. Alot of the dialogue is too contemporary for this kind of story, but anything with Ron Perlman in it can't be that bad. Dead Men Walk (1943) :star::star: A tale of twins, one a good doctor and the other evil and newly returned from the dead as a vampire. Kind of a poor mans take on the vampire story. George Zucco is good as the twins but not much else is worthwhile for a repeat viewing. TV The Secret Circle S1: Masked :star::star::star::star: Sanctuary S4: Monsoon :star::star::star::half: Totals 01 The Hitcher (2007) 2.5/5 * 02 Curse of the Living Corpse (1964) 2.5/5 * 03 House of the Living Dead (1976) 2/5 * 04 The Omen (2006) 3/5 * 05 The Last Exorcism (2010) 3.5/5 * 06 The Mothman Prophecies (2002) 4/5 07 The Haunted Palace (1963) 4/5 * 08 Sorority Row (2009) 2/5 * 09 The Lost City (1935) 4/5 * 10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 4.5/5 * 11 The Mistress of Atlantis (1932) 2/5 * 12 Suck (2009) 3/5 * 13 Prom Night (1980) 3/5 14 House of Wax (1953) 4/5 15 Dawn of the Dead (2004) 4/5 16 Scarecrows (1988) 3/5 * 17 Alien (1979) 5/5 18 Mimic (1997) 3/5 * 19 Reign of Fire (2002) 3.5/5 20 1408 (2007) 4/5 21 Heartstopper (2006) no stars * 22 Desparate Souls (2005) no stars * 23 Snowbeast (1977) 3/5 * 24 Stigmata (1999) 2/5 25 Jaws (1975) 5/5 26 Joyride (2001) 4/5 27 Psycho (1960) 4.5/5 28 Blood Tide (1982) 2/5 29 Cujo (1983) 3.5/5 30 Black Christmas (1974) 4/5 * 31 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) 1.5/5 * 32 13 th Warrior (1999) 4.5/5 33 The Rite (2011) 3.5/5 * 34 The Covenant (2006) 2.5/5 * 35 From Dusk to Dawn 2 (1999) 2/5 * 36 From Dusk to Dawn 3 (2000) 2.5/5 * 37 Insidious (2010) 3.5/5 * 38 From Within (2008) 3.5/5 39 Alien vs Predator (2007) 0.5/5 * 40 Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010) 3/5 * 41 Van Helsing (2004) 3.5/5 42 Ring Two (2005) 2/5 * 43 The Exorcist (1973) 5/5 44 How Awful About Alan (1970) 3/5 * 45 Panic (1982) 1.5/5 * 46 Season of the Witch (2011) 2.5/5 * 47 Dead Men Walk (1943) 2/5 * TV 01 Supernatural S2: Houses of the Holy 4.5/5 * 02 Supernatural S2: Born Under a Bad Sign 4/5 * 03 Supernatural S2: Tall Tales 3/5 * 04 Supernatural S2: Roadkill 4/5 * 05 Supernatural S2: Heart 4/5 * 06 Supernatural S2: Hollywood Babylon 2/5 * 07 Supernatural S2: Folsom Prison Blues 4/5 * 08 Supernatural S2: What is and What Should Never Be 4/5 * 09 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 1 5/5 * 10 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 2 5/5 * 11 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: A New Man 4.5/5 12 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: The I in Team 3.5/5 13 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: Goodbye Iowa 3.5/5 14 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: This Year's Girl 4.5/5 15 Fringe S4: One Night in October 4/5 * 16 Fringe S4: Alone in the World 4.5/5 * 17 Sanctuary S4: Tempus 4/5 * 18 Supernatural S3: The Magnificent Seven 4.5/5 * 19 Supernatural S3: The Kids are Alright 4/5 * 20 Supernatural S3: Bad Day at Black Rock 4/5 * 21 Supernatural S3: Sin City 4/5 * 22 Supernatural S3: Bedtime Stories 4/5 * 23 Supernatural S3: Red Sky at Morning 4/5 * 24 Supernatural S3: Fresh Blood 4.5/5 * 25 Fringe S4: Subject 9 4.5/5 * 26 Sanctuary S4: Uprising 4.5/5 * 27 The Walking Dead S1: TS-19 4.5/5 * 28 The Walking Dead S2: What Lies Ahead 3.5/5 * 29 Sanctuary Season 4: Untouchable 4/5 * 30 Supernatural Season 7: Shut Up Dr. Phil 4/5 * 31 The Walking Dead S 2: Bloodletting 4/5 * 32 Supernatural Season 6: And Then There Were None 2.5/5 * 33 Secret Circle S1: Masked 4/5 * 34 Sanctuary S4: Monsoon 3.5/5 *
 

Michael Elliott

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Jim_K said:
I don’t have a vagina so I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like Twilight – no need to torture myself. Speaking of masochistic behavior - At what point does one say to one’s self, wow Holy Shit! every one of these Leprechaun films I’ve watched has been absolutely horrid, but maybe the series will redeem itself with the next entry? Sorry, I kid....... I’m in one of my moods. Sre4m – The original film was somewhat entertaining and fresh at the time but I was never much of a fan of this seriesmany smarmy twentysomething’s that think they’re more clever than they really are, too many contrived situations, plus someone wearing a Halloween mask sporting a knife just doesn’t scare me in the least unless they can get up and walk away after unloading a .357 into their chest.
Mood or not, you pretty much answered yourself. If you're not a fan of the series is there really a need to watch SCREAM 4? I mean, did you think any of the issues you had with 2 and 3 were going to be different in 4? To answer your question though. LEPRECHAUN was actually one of the first films I ever reviewed for a local paper. I guess I was around 12 when the film was released and I always remembered the local theater manager getting upset that I gave it such a lousy review. Of course, it didn't hurt as the film did become a small hit. I watched the second and at the time thought it was slightly better. I then watched the third film and thought it was the best of the bunch. However, around the time the fourth one came out I started to realize that horror films are mainly pieces of shit with very little value to them. The majority of the films you watch from this genre are just pure trash made by people who hate the genre and just want a way to make some quick cash. I mean, there is a reason why so many of these things get released straight to video or back in the day dumbed onto a second or third billing. The challenge of this thread and contest is to catch up with films that you wouldn't be watching unless it was October and you were taking part in a thread like this one. I mean, I did go 20+ years without seeing PUPPET MASTER so of course there wasn't a real reason to do so now. There was even less of a reason to watch the entire series. After giving up on the third LEP film as a kid there really wasn't any real reason to revisit them now. Why did I? Because of the thread. Each year I run through a series I haven't seen. Last year it was CHILDREN OF THE CORN and HELLRAISER. This year it was PUPPET MASTER and LEP. Next year it's going to be THE AMITYVILLE HORROR sequels and the WITCHCRAFT series, which I believe is 13 movies. Do I expect them to be classics or some sort of lost masterpieces? Of course not. I'm too smart for that. Do I feel a need to torture myself? Not at all. I do feel the need to challenge myself though and this thread is a good way to do that. I'm sure you challenge yourself to sit through some of the movies you have listed in the director's cheklist threads. I'm not sure you or I really need to spend the time or money tracking down some of these forgotten films like we both do. We both sit through TCM enough to know that the majority of films made are forgotten for a reason. Back to horror, I think a very big majority of them are shit but I still enjoy the genre. I have since I was young and I will continue to do so even though in challenges like these, most of my viewings are very lowly rated.
 

Ockeghem

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October 29 Films: The Three Stooges ("We Want Our Mummy") (1939) The Three Stooges ("Spook Louder") (1943) Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) Television episodes: Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 481-482) (1968) I just realized that I've been listing the wrong date for the Dark Shadows episodes I've been watching. From this post onward, they're correct (1968). Total: Films: 01. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) 02. Halloweentown (1998) 03. Atomic Rulers Of the World (1964) 04. The Alpha Incident (1977) 05. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (2007) 06. The Fly (1958) 07. The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) 08. Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out? (2008) 09. Return Of the Fly (1959) 10. The Wasp Woman (1959) 11. The Giant Gila Monster (1959) 12. Them! (1954) 13. Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001) 14. The Haunted Mansion (2003) 15. Night Of the Living Dead (1968) 16. Terror Creatures From the Grave (1965) 17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) 18. I Bury the Living (1958) 19. Curse Of the Fly (1965) 20. Revenge Of the Creature (1955) 21. The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) 22. The Hand (1960) 23. The Giant Leeches (1959) 24. Tower Of Terror (1997) 25. House On Haunted Hill (1959) 26. Return Of the Fly (1959) 27. The Blob (1958) 28. The Screaming Skull (1958) 29. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 30. Curse Of the Fly (1965) 31. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) 32. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) 33. Halloweentown High (2004) 34. The Shining (1980) 35. The Changeling (1980) 36. Games (1967) 37. Return To Halloweentown (2006) 38. Burnt Offerings (1976) 39. The Bad Seed (1956) 40. Scooby Doo (2002) 41. Tales Of Terror (1962) 42. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) 43. Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins (2009) 44. Bloody Pit Of Horror (1965) 45. City Of Missing Girls (1941) 46. Ghost Rider (2007) 47. Trilogy Of Terror (1975) 48. Madhouse (1974) 49. The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010) 50. It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958) 51. Signs (2002) 52. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) 53. The Three Stooges ("We Want Our Mummy") (1939) 54. The Three Stooges ("Spook Louder") (1943) 55. Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) Television episodes: 01. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 476-478) (1968) 02. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("The Dead Body") (2010) 03. Charmed ("Trial By Magic") (2002) 04. Charmed ("Lost and Bound") (2002) 05. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("The Perfect Brother") (2011) 06. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Wrong Number") (2011) 07. House of Anubis ("House of Secrets"; "House of Attitude"; "House of the Black Bird"; "House of Dares"; "House of Lies") (2010) 08. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("My Two Harpers") (2011) 09. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Lights Out") (2011) 10. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Best Friend Forever") (2011) 11. Star Trek ("Catspaw") (1967) 12. Charmed ("Charmed and Dangerous") (2002) 13. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Ghostly Stare") (2011) 14. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Catching Cold") (2011) 15. 7th Heaven ("Halloween") (1996) 16. Charmed ("The Three Faces of Phoebe") (2002) 17. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Nightmare Inn") (2011) 18. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Walls") (2011) 19. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Scary Mary") (pt. 1) (2011) 20. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Scary Mary") (pt. 2) (2011) 21. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Pool Shark") (2011) 22. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("My Sister the Witch") (2011) 23. Charmed ("All Halliwell's Eve") (2000) 24. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Wizards Of Apartment 13B") (2011) 25. A.N.T. Farm ("MutANT Farm") (2011) 26. Charmed ("Marry-Go-Round") (2000) 27. Good Luck Charlie ("Scary Had A Little Lamb") (2011) 28. Shake It Up ("Beam It Up") (2011) 29. Strawberry Shortcake ("Moonlight Mysteries") (2005) 30. Charmed ("The Fifth Halliwell") (2002) 31. The Avengers ("Castle De'ath") (1965) 32. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Ghost Roommate") (2011) 33. The Brady Bunch ("Fright Night") (1972) 34. Charmed ("Saving Private Leo") (2002) 35. Charmed ("Bite Me") (2002) 36. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Get Along, Little Zombie") (2011) 37. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 479-480) (1968) 38. Charmed ("We're Off To See the Wizard") (2002) 39. Goosebumps ("Be Careful What You Wish For") (1996) 40. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Swarmin Norman") (2011) 41. Kickin' It ("Boo Gi Nights") (2011) 42. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Wizards Against Everything") (2011) 43. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 481-482) (1968)
 

Michael Elliott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
8,054
Location
KY
Real Name
Michael Elliott
Real Story of Halloween, The (2010 :star::star::star: This documentary first appeared on The History Channel and if you're a fan of the holiday then it's pretty much a must see. The film starts off talking about where Halloween is today and then it flashes back to how it all began. We get to hear about the origins of countless items ranging from black cats and witches to trick or treating and of course masks, pranks and bats. At just around 40-minutes there's really nothing here too overly detailed but what the documentary does do is give one a great idea of the basic stuff anyone should know. Some of the most interesting stories is how the prank side of Halloween almost got it banned and especially during the Depression era when towns couldn't afford to have children burn things up and smash windows. It was pretty strange hearing about the various issues, including some deaths, that happened due to kids playing pranks. This leads to some more interesting stories like how trick or treating came to be as it was pretty much a way for parents to beg kids not to do bad things. The earlier days including how the Christians used the holiday to their advantage is also discussed. Several experts are interviewed but fans of horror movies will certainly recognize John Carpenter, Wes Craven and David J. Skal. I think the documentary really runs the perfect time as it's very quick, to the point and really gives one a fun idea of where all of our traditions come from. I think anything longer probably would have had the film feeling a bit winded so this is really a good thing to watch on Halloween just to see where it all comes from. Visiting Hours (1982) :half: Incredibly silly horror film from Canada about a woman-hating psycho (Michael Ironside) who gets upset with a news reporter (Lee Grant) doing a story on an abused woman so he decides to break into her home and kill her. He's unsuccessful but since she's at the local hospital recovering he decides to visit her there and try to finish the job. Thanks Canada, not only did you deliver the horrid STUDENT BODIES but you also deliver this entry into the slasher genre, which is without question one of the worst ever made. I guess it might be a tad bit unfair to call this a slasher since it does stand apart from those more popular titles because it doesn't just go for cheap kills. To the film's credit, it at least tries to be different by giving us plenty of character development in regards to the killer, the reporter as well as a nurse (Linda Purl) who befriends the reporter and becomes a victim of the stalker. The problem is that the entire backstory to everyone is just so incredibly lame and poorly written that you really don't care anything about them. There's an incredibly bad flashback sequence that tries to explain why the killer hates women but it comes off so bad that you can't help but laugh at it. Even worse is that the screenplay has to be one of the worst ever written and one really wonders why no one stood up and asked about all the logical issues with it. I mean, the killer breaks into the woman's home and cuts her up yet she can't remember the guy the next time she sees him. Not only does the killer murder a few people inside the hospital but he's able to not only leave but come back several times and not have anyone notice him. I mean, after the first few murders it looks like a few more security guards would have been added. Our main victim, a news reporter, doesn't even hear the news that a couple people were murdered in the room that she was supposed to have been in. The logical problems throughout this movie just gets so frustrating after a while that you'll want to throw things at your television. I'm not sure how much Grant got paid but let's hope it was a lot considering how badly she embarrasses herself here. The performance is just downright dreadful and you can tell that the actress is bored in every scene. Purl comes off the best as the nurse and Ironside isn't too bad but the screenplay does him no favors. Even William Shatner shows up to cash a paycheck. VISITING HOURS attempts to be different but it ends up being much worse than the majority of the movies that it's trying to be a higher class than. The film is beyond bad from start to finish and one can only wonder who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea for this to run 105-minutes.
 

Radioman970

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
8,364
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Could be anywhere
Real Name
James Perry
Latest movie watches: 59. Alucarda. (1978) The devil sure knows how to make beautiful naked women scream... not that I'm jealous or anything. A very nice buildup to a somewhat satisfying climax. A couple of orphans bring some light (well, fire and lots of blood!) to a convent. Really fun, if you're into this sort of thing. Don't think badly of me but...I am. :P :D 60. House of the Devil. (2009) (First time viewing) Made to look retro, circa late 70s or early 80s. Successful in pretty much every way. I would have liked a more interesting build up with more hints at what is coming. I guess the title does give it away, but still it needed a little something extra to keep you hooked while waiting for the climax. If you think about it, there really isn't much through the long first part of the film. Otherwise, this is enjoyable and packs quite a punch eventually. Not bowled over by the ending though. 61. The Fog. (1979) Among my most favorites this time of year. Nostalgic, exciting, still spooky after countless viewings. First viewing was probably around 1980 or so when me and my best friend sneaked into the drive in and it was playing there. Really fun experience. Then I caught all the best scenes on Terror in the Aisles a year or so later. And finally watched the whole thing at home one Halloween and it has been up there with Carpenter's Halloween as a favorite ever since. Wonderful cast, terrific look... Adrienne in her super unique lighthouse radio station... Carpenter needs to whip up something like this again. New TV watches: 9. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. (1966) This came out the year I was born and I've watched it pretty much yearly ever since TV shows could keep my interest. Poor Chuck, year after year he gets those rocks and I keep hoping each year his luck will be better. :( 10. Fat Albert's Halloween Special. (1977) Another childhood fav I never missed while growing up. I lost track of it at one point and then they put out this DVD. The moral lessons here for kids are informative and fun at the same time. Cosby's work on this show should be considered the best thing he ever did. Fat Albert is a treasure. -------------------------------- Movies watched: (BOLD below are new for me) 1. Sixth Sense. 2. The Nanny. Bette Davis. (1965) 3. Malevolence. (2004) 4. Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. (1995) 5. Halloween: Curse of Michael Myers (6th film). 6. John Carpenters Vampires. 7. Invasion. (first viewing) 8. Last House on the Left. Remake. (2009) (First Time Viewing) 9. MST3K: Beginning of the End. 10. Misery. 11. Urban Legend. (First time viewing) 12. Curtains. (1983) 13. Orphan. (2009) (First time viewing) 14. Godzilla VS Mechagodzilla II. (1993) 15. Dracula (1931). 16. Paranormal Activity. 17. BUG. (1975) (First time viewing) 18. Monsters. (2010) (First time viewing) 19. Boogeyman. (1980) 20. Gothika. (2003) 21. I Can See You. (2008) (First time viewing) 22. Premonition. (2007) 23. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Atomic Brain. 24. Godzilla VS Spacegodzilla. 25. Paranormal Activity 2. 26. Cabin Fever. 27. Crawlspace. (1986) (First time viewing) 28. Bram Stoker's Dracula. (1992) 29. The Lady in White. (1988) 30. Crazies. (2010) (First time viewing) 31. Carrie. 32. Trick r Treat. (2007) 33. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. (First time viewing) 34. Last Supper. 35. The Omen. (1976) 36. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives! 37. TCM remake. 38. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. (First time viewing) 39. Society. (1989) 40. Halloween H2O. (1998) 41. Slither. 42. It Came from Beneath the Sea. (1955) (First time viewing) 43. A Tale of Two Sisters. (2003) 44. Frankenstein. (1931) 45. Paranormal Activity 3. (2011) (First time viewing) 46. Innocent Blood. (1992) 47. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. 48. Hannibal. 49. Dead & Buried. (First time viewing) 50. High Tension. 51. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. (1988) 52. Chopping Mall. (1986) 53. Cemetery Man. (1993) 54. When a Stranger Calls. (2006) 55. The Wicker Man. (1973) 56. House. (1977) (First time viewing) 57. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. (1989) 58. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. (1988) 59. Alucarda. (1978) 60. House of the Devil. (2009) (First time viewing) 61. The Fog. (1979) TVs: 1. Sigmund & the seamonsters. "Is there a doctor in the cave?" 2. Tales from the Cryptkeeper/animated. "Pleasant Screams". (first time seeing) 3. Sigmund & the Sea Monsters. "Happy Birthdaze". 4. Tales from the Cryptkeeper. "Gone Fishin'". (First time viewing) 5. Paul Lynde's Halloween Special. (probably not first time...oddly familiar) 6. Tales from the Darkside. "Snip snip" 7. Tales from the Darkside: "Answer Me". 8. Walking Dead. (Season 1) "Tell it to the Frogs" (First time viewing) 9. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. (1966) 10. Fat Albert's Christmas Special. (1977) Watched and not including: MST3K: The Alien from LA. Flightplan Stephen King's Golden Years miniseries. (first time seeing) Twilight Zone. "The Old Man in the Cave". Not horror enough. MST3K: Outlaw. MST3K: Radar Secret Service. MST3K: Santa Claus. Edward Scissorhands. Looker. (1981)
 

TravisR

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2004
Messages
42,429
Location
The basement of the FBI building
Thanks to the earilest snowstorm that I can ever remember, I lost my power for 6 hours today so I only watched two movies. 104. Halloween (1978) My all time favorite movie (maybe the first Star Wars movie gives it a run) and a classic. Unfortauntely, all the clones and sequels have diluted some of the impact of the movie. The sequels added reasons for why Michael kills people but it's way more scary here when he does it just because he's "purely and simply evil". An all around excellent movie. 105. Halloween II (1981) Enjoyable sequel. While I don't like that they invented a reason for Michael to want to kill Laurie, I guess it was needed to explain why he keeps coming after her. Nice widescreen photography, solid score and the best thing is that they go out of their way to create a continuity between the two movies. I might be able to get in the Myers-less third movie in before I go to bed. Totals: 1. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) 2. A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2- Freddy's Revenge 3. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3- Dream Warriors 4. A Nightmare On Elm Street 4- The Dream Master 5. A Nightmare On Elm Street- The Dream Child 6. Freddy's Dead- The Final Nightmare 7. Wes Craven's New Nightmare 8. A Nightmare On Elm Steet (2010) 9. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) 10. Scream 11. Scream 2 12. Scream 3 13. Scream 4 14. Friday The 13th (1980) (uncut) 15. Friday The 13th Part 2 16. Friday The 13th Part 3 17. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter 18. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning 19. Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part VI 20. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood 21. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 22. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday 23. Jason X 24. Freddy Vs. Jason 25. Friday The 13th (2009) (uncut) 26. The Mist 27. Firestarter 28. Saw 29. Saw II (uncut) 30. Saw III (uncut) 31. Saw IV (uncut) 32. Saw V (uncut) 33. Saw VI (uncut) 34. Saw 3D (uncut) 35. Piranha (1978) 36. The Howling 37. Gremlins 38. Prom Night (1980) 39. He Knows You're Alone 40. Terror Train 41. Maniac (1980) 42. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (uncut) 43. Eyes Of A Stranger 44. The Prowler 45. Graduation Day 46. The Burning 47. Happy Birthday To Me 48. Hell Night 49. Madman 50. April Fool's Day (1986) 51. Psycho (1960) 52. Psycho II 53. Psycho III 54. Psycho IV: The Beginning 55. The Thing (1982) 56. The Thing (2011) 57. Cabin Fever (director's cut) 58. Hostel (director's cut) 59. Hostel Part II (uncut) 60. Let The Right One In 61. Let Me In 62. Silver Bullet 63. The Stepfather (1987) 64. The Car 65. Road Games 66. Someone's Watching Me! 67. The Fog (1980) 68. Christine 69. Prince Of Darkness 70. Body Bags 71. In The Mouth Of Madness 72. Village Of The Damned (1995) 73. Vampires 74. Ghosts Of Mars 75. Masters Of Horror: Cigarette Burns 76. Masters Of Horrror: Pro-Life 77. Planet Terror 78. Paranormal Activity 3 79. Cat People (1942) 80. I Walked With A Zombie 81. The Leopard Man 82. The Seventh Victim 83. The Ghost Ship 84. The Curse Of The Cat People 85. The Body Snatcher 86. Isle Of The Dead 87. Bedlam 88. Pet Sematary 89. Pet Semetary II 90. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) 91. Dawn Of The Dead (1978) 92. Day Of The Dead (1985) 93. Creepshow 94. Creepshow 2 95. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 96. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (unrated) 97. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (unrated) 98. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation 99. Eaten Alive 100. The Funhouse 101. Twilight 102. New Moon 103. Eclipse 104. Halloween (1978) 105. Halloween II (1981) bold= new viewing
 

PatW

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
1,600
Real Name
Patricia
The Other (1972) :star::star::star::star: ( Complicated story of two twins, one good the other evil and a rash of mysterious accidental deaths that occur seemingly as a result of one of them. The horror is psychological here and it's quite an interesting twist on the good twin, bad twin scenerio. Very creepy movie and the two twin actors were good in their roles but Uta Hagen who plays the grandmother is the one that shines here. TV Grimm S1: The Pilot (2011) :star::star::star::star: This was surprisingly good as the first episode of the season. I just hope it stays as good for the long run. Supernatural S7: Slash Fiction :star::star::star::star: Totals 01 The Hitcher (2007) 2.5/5 * 02 Curse of the Living Corpse (1964) 2.5/5 * 03 House of the Living Dead (1976) 2/5 * 04 The Omen (2006) 3/5 * 05 The Last Exorcism (2010) 3.5/5 * 06 The Mothman Prophecies (2002) 4/5 07 The Haunted Palace (1963) 4/5 * 08 Sorority Row (2009) 2/5 * 09 The Lost City (1935) 4/5 * 10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 4.5/5 * 11 The Mistress of Atlantis (1932) 2/5 * 12 Suck (2009) 3/5 * 13 Prom Night (1980) 3/5 14 House of Wax (1953) 4/5 15 Dawn of the Dead (2004) 4/5 16 Scarecrows (1988) 3/5 * 17 Alien (1979) 5/5 18 Mimic (1997) 3/5 * 19 Reign of Fire (2002) 3.5/5 20 1408 (2007) 4/5 21 Heartstopper (2006) no stars * 22 Desparate Souls (2005) no stars * 23 Snowbeast (1977) 3/5 * 24 Stigmata (1999) 2/5 25 Jaws (1975) 5/5 26 Joyride (2001) 4/5 27 Psycho (1960) 4.5/5 28 Blood Tide (1982) 2/5 29 Cujo (1983) 3.5/5 30 Black Christmas (1974) 4/5 * 31 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) 1.5/5 * 32 13 th Warrior (1999) 4.5/5 33 The Rite (2011) 3.5/5 * 34 The Covenant (2006) 2.5/5 * 35 From Dusk to Dawn 2 (1999) 2/5 * 36 From Dusk to Dawn 3 (2000) 2.5/5 * 37 Insidious (2010) 3.5/5 * 38 From Within (2008) 3.5/5 39 Alien vs Predator (2007) 0.5/5 * 40 Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010) 3/5 * 41 Van Helsing (2004) 3.5/5 42 Ring Two (2005) 2/5 * 43 The Exorcist (1973) 5/5 44 How Awful About Alan (1970) 3/5 * 45 Panic (1982) 1.5/5 * 46 Season of the Witch (2011) 2.5/5 * 47 Dead Men Walk (1943) 2/5 * 48 The Other (1972) 4/5 * TV 01 Supernatural S2: Houses of the Holy 4.5/5 * 02 Supernatural S2: Born Under a Bad Sign 4/5 * 03 Supernatural S2: Tall Tales 3/5 * 04 Supernatural S2: Roadkill 4/5 * 05 Supernatural S2: Heart 4/5 * 06 Supernatural S2: Hollywood Babylon 2/5 * 07 Supernatural S2: Folsom Prison Blues 4/5 * 08 Supernatural S2: What is and What Should Never Be 4/5 * 09 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 1 5/5 * 10 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 2 5/5 * 11 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: A New Man 4.5/5 12 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: The I in Team 3.5/5 13 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: Goodbye Iowa 3.5/5 14 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: This Year's Girl 4.5/5 15 Fringe S4: One Night in October 4/5 * 16 Fringe S4: Alone in the World 4.5/5 * 17 Sanctuary S4: Tempus 4/5 * 18 Supernatural S3: The Magnificent Seven 4.5/5 * 19 Supernatural S3: The Kids are Alright 4/5 * 20 Supernatural S3: Bad Day at Black Rock 4/5 * 21 Supernatural S3: Sin City 4/5 * 22 Supernatural S3: Bedtime Stories 4/5 * 23 Supernatural S3: Red Sky at Morning 4/5 * 24 Supernatural S3: Fresh Blood 4.5/5 * 25 Fringe S4: Subject 9 4.5/5 * 26 Sanctuary S4: Uprising 4.5/5 * 27 The Walking Dead S1: TS-19 4.5/5 * 28 The Walking Dead S2: What Lies Ahead 3.5/5 * 29 Sanctuary Season 4: Untouchable 4/5 * 30 Supernatural Season 7: Shut Up Dr. Phil 4/5 * 31 The Walking Dead S 2: Bloodletting 4/5 * 32 Supernatural Season 6: And Then There Were None 2.5/5 * 33 Secret Circle S1: Masked 4/5 * 34 Sanctuary S4: Monsoon 3.5/5 * 35 Grimm S1: Pilot ep. 4/5 * 36 Supernatural Season 7: Slash Fiction 4/5 *
 

Malcolm R

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2002
Messages
25,141
Real Name
Malcolm
Bereavement - Grade: B A.K.A., Malevolence 2: The Beginning, Stevan Mena's prequel to 2004's Malevolence gives us the story of how Martin Bristol was shaped into a psycho stalker slasher. The 6-year-old Martin, who cannot feel any sensations of pain, is abducted from his home by Graham Sutter. Sutter, a grade-A psycho in his own right, seeks to make Martin his protege/assistant in the slaughter of young women. Given that this is a prequel, and we know the further story of Martin in Malevolence, it's not really a spoiler to say that while at first it appears young Martin may resist the dark side, he eventually succumbs in bloody fashion. Another strong film from Stevan Mena. I recall not being so impressed with Malevolence after all the hype and great reviews, but it was an above-average slasher film and I thought Bereavement was also well done. After watching, I was thinking that it was a pretty violent film, but thinking some more, realized that nearly all the violence actually occurred off camera (lots of blood splatter, but not a lot of on-camera violence). That actually makes the impressions somewhat stronger as your brain seems to think it saw things that didn't really appear on the screen. This might have been somewhat of a necessity during filming as one of the principal actors was only 11 years old. Child's Play - Grade: B+ The Lakeshore Strangler, Charles Lee Ray, is being pursued by the Chicago police. Wounded and bleeding profusely, he escapes into a toy store and uses a Santeria ritual to transfer his soul into that of a Good Guy doll. However, he must again transfer his soul into a living person or he will be trapped in the doll forever. The doll is later found by a bum in the ruins of the toy store and sold to Karen Barclay, a hard-working single mom who desperately wants a doll for her son Andy's birthday, but cannot afford the normal $100 retail price tag. Andy is ecstatic with the gift until "Chucky" begins saying bad things and killing people. Can Andy get any adult to believe that Chucky is really alive before Charles Lee Ray can force his soul to take over Andy's body? Another 80's film that's always been a favorite of mine, but I haven't see it in years and it didn't seem to hold up as well on this viewing (I expected it would probably be graded an "A" before I watched). It's still a fun film, driven by a very good performance by young Alex Vincent as Andy. His big-eyed, puppy-dog expressions and soft-spoken manner really make you feel sorry for him and what he's put through. Though he returned for the sequel, so apparently he wasn't too traumatized. Child's Play 2 - Grade: C+ This sequel was clearly just an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the original (though several more sequels followed, so it must have performed fairly well). It also marked a studio switch as Universal purchased the franchise rights from MGM which was reportedly unhappy with the content of the original film (controversy about violence and children, yadda yadda...). For some reason, the toy factory that makes the Good Guy dolls takes Chucky's burned head from the first film, and attaches it to a new body, which seems to revive Chucky along with the soul of Charles Lee Ray. The first film established that by destroying the heart of Chucky, you also destroy the remains of Charles Lee Ray, so the sequel violates the rules of the first film in its opening minutes. We find young Andy has been taken from his mother and is in the social service program, being placed in a new foster home (his mother is in a psychiatric hospital). As he tries to settle into his new home, Andy discovers that Chucky is back and still intent on transferring his soul into Andy's body. So once again, Andy has to convince some adult that Chucky is alive and has returned before it's too late. Another good performance by Alex Vincent as he continues to play Andy, but that's about the only positive. The downfall of this film is that the story is pretty weak and, rather than try and make another scary film, the studio tried to turn Chucky into another Freddy Krueger by having him make wisecracks and puns throughout the film. It also takes the horror film false-ending trait to ridiculous extremes, as you think the movie is over about three times before it really is.
 

Bob McLaughlin

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 14, 2000
Messages
1,129
Real Name
Bob
Once again, I am behind on writing my reviews, but not behind on my daily movie viewing! 28. 5ive Girls (2006) (first-time viewing) Five girls, each with a special supernatural power, are sent to a very strict Catholic academy to cure them of their evil. The priest (Ron Perlman) isn't so strict but he's being blackmailed by an unhinged (and overacting) headmistress who has an agenda of her own. There's a demon named Legion (yeah, that Legion, the one from the Bible) who is intent on taking control of one (or all) of the girls. This isn't a bad movie, I was surprised to find myself enjoying it. Sure, the acting of the headmistress is of the small theater/high school play level, and although the setup of the movie promises possible sleaze (5 sexy "girls" who each look they are about 21) there is little by way of nudity and zero sex, but still the movie was entertaining and often humorous. 29. The Thing (2011) (first-time viewing) This isn't a remake of the 1982 classic which of course was itself a remake, but rather a prequel that tells the tale of the Norwegian base before The Thing arrives at the American base. Since we know how the John Carpenter movie starts, perhaps that should take away some of the suspense of this movie, but it doesn't. And despite having very big shoes to fill, this movie is a worthy successor (or rather, predecessor) to the 1982 film. The sets are very similar, and the period of 1982 is nicely maintained. Yeah, we don't get the ground-breaking practical special effects that we got back then, but CGI, but for the most part they make the CGI look like the practical effects of 1982, which I thought was pretty cool. In other words, this movie is extremely consistent with the 1982 movie and they could easily be watched back-to-back. My only problem with the movie is that Mary Elizabeth Winstead's limited range doesn't work for the character they have given her. They've set her up to be more like a Ripley from Alien, but only Sigourney Weaver can do that properly. Still, I liked this movie and it easily beat my expectations. 30. The Descent (2005) Even on repeat viewings, this is still one of the tensest and scariest movies ever. There were several times where I realized I was not breathing, and I still let out a yelp of surprise during at least one scene (take your pick). Six young adventure-seeking women reunite to go on a caving expedition and also to provide a catharsis for their widower friend, but they find more than they bargained for. This movie has quickly attained the status of being a modern classic, and it is well deserved. 31. Sleepaway Camp (1983) The word "camp" could be taken to have two meanings, but I really think they were trying to make a serious slasher in the vein of "Friday the 13th", but they created something so unique, so weird, and so funny, it's hard to say what their intentions were. This movie is also a perfect time capsule of 1983 youth, and if you went to any kind of camp back in the 80's, much of this will look familiar to you, but in a good way. This camp is also odd in that everyone seems to be either a lecherous adult, a 20-something New York Italian, or a 12-year old kid. There are some creative kills, but this movie is not highly gore-laden. I loved the overdone scalding scene of the pedophile cook the best. Bob's A-Z 2011 Horror Movie Marathon 1. Antichrist 2. Burning Bright 3. The Crimson Cult 4. Dead of Night 5. Evil Dead 2 6. Frontier(s) 7. The Ghoul 8. Hidden (2009) 9. I Can See You 10. The Janitor 11. Kill Theory 12. The Last Exorcism 13. Midnight Meat Train 14. Night of the Living Dead 15. The Old Dark House 16. Popcorn 17. Queen of Blood 18. Rabid 19. Stake Land 20. Tales that Witness Madness 21. The Unborn 22. The Valley of Gwangi 23. The Wolfman (2010) 24. X: The Unknown 25. YellowBrickRoad 26. Zoo 27. 4 Flies on Grey Velvet 28. 5ive Girls 29. The Thing (2011) 30. The Descent 31. Sleepaway Camp
 

Sandro

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
403
Notable films seen (out of [/b]1/2

Echoes of Bergman and Tarkovsky abound in this intellectual, mysterious horror film about guilt, sin and redemption in 16th century Russia/Finland as a border commission travels through an eerie swamp to a strange village. The film creates an oppressive atmosphere with its stark setting and creepy imagery. Recommended.
 

PatW

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
1,600
Real Name
Patricia
Zombie Apocalypse (2011) :star: This gets one stars only because I like some of the actors but really how lame can this get. Some of the zombie make-up was laughably bad. And when you perform a certain action and zombies come running why is that action repeated over and over again. I was cheering for the zombies in this piece of junk. Bedlam (1946) :star::star::star::star: A young woman is committed to an insane asylum in 18th century England after she insults Lord Mortimer one too many times. Boris Karloff is Master Sims and he's suitable creepy and cruel as the warden of this asylum. Unfortunately for him he's met his match when he is instrumental in causing the committment of Nell Bowen whose mission is to provide comfort for these unfortunate patients. Lots of atmosphere, good movie. Totals 01 The Hitcher (2007) 2.5/5 * 02 Curse of the Living Corpse (1964) 2.5/5 * 03 House of the Living Dead (1976) 2/5 * 04 The Omen (2006) 3/5 * 05 The Last Exorcism (2010) 3.5/5 * 06 The Mothman Prophecies (2002) 4/5 07 The Haunted Palace (1963) 4/5 * 08 Sorority Row (2009) 2/5 * 09 The Lost City (1935) 4/5 * 10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 4.5/5 * 11 The Mistress of Atlantis (1932) 2/5 * 12 Suck (2009) 3/5 * 13 Prom Night (1980) 3/5 14 House of Wax (1953) 4/5 15 Dawn of the Dead (2004) 4/5 16 Scarecrows (1988) 3/5 * 17 Alien (1979) 5/5 18 Mimic (1997) 3/5 * 19 Reign of Fire (2002) 3.5/5 20 1408 (2007) 4/5 21 Heartstopper (2006) no stars * 22 Desparate Souls (2005) no stars * 23 Snowbeast (1977) 3/5 * 24 Stigmata (1999) 2/5 25 Jaws (1975) 5/5 26 Joyride (2001) 4/5 27 Psycho (1960) 4.5/5 28 Blood Tide (1982) 2/5 29 Cujo (1983) 3.5/5 30 Black Christmas (1974) 4/5 * 31 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) 1.5/5 * 32 13 th Warrior (1999) 4.5/5 33 The Rite (2011) 3.5/5 * 34 The Covenant (2006) 2.5/5 * 35 From Dusk to Dawn 2 (1999) 2/5 * 36 From Dusk to Dawn 3 (2000) 2.5/5 * 37 Insidious (2010) 3.5/5 * 38 From Within (2008) 3.5/5 39 Alien vs Predator (2007) 0.5/5 * 40 Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010) 3/5 * 41 Van Helsing (2004) 3.5/5 42 Ring Two (2005) 2/5 * 43 The Exorcist (1973) 5/5 44 How Awful About Alan (1970) 3/5 * 45 Panic (1982) 1.5/5 * 46 Season of the Witch (2011) 2.5/5 * 47 Dead Men Walk (1943) 2/5 * 48 The Other (1972) 4/5 * 49 Zombie Apocalypse (2011) 1/5 * 50 Bedlam (1946) 4/5 * TV 01 Supernatural S2: Houses of the Holy 4.5/5 * 02 Supernatural S2: Born Under a Bad Sign 4/5 * 03 Supernatural S2: Tall Tales 3/5 * 04 Supernatural S2: Roadkill 4/5 * 05 Supernatural S2: Heart 4/5 * 06 Supernatural S2: Hollywood Babylon 2/5 * 07 Supernatural S2: Folsom Prison Blues 4/5 * 08 Supernatural S2: What is and What Should Never Be 4/5 * 09 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 1 5/5 * 10 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 2 5/5 * 11 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: A New Man 4.5/5 12 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: The I in Team 3.5/5 13 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: Goodbye Iowa 3.5/5 14 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: This Year's Girl 4.5/5 15 Fringe S4: One Night in October 4/5 * 16 Fringe S4: Alone in the World 4.5/5 * 17 Sanctuary S4: Tempus 4/5 * 18 Supernatural S3: The Magnificent Seven 4.5/5 * 19 Supernatural S3: The Kids are Alright 4/5 * 20 Supernatural S3: Bad Day at Black Rock 4/5 * 21 Supernatural S3: Sin City 4/5 * 22 Supernatural S3: Bedtime Stories 4/5 * 23 Supernatural S3: Red Sky at Morning 4/5 * 24 Supernatural S3: Fresh Blood 4.5/5 * 25 Fringe S4: Subject 9 4.5/5 * 26 Sanctuary S4: Uprising 4.5/5 * 27 The Walking Dead S1: TS-19 4.5/5 * 28 The Walking Dead S2: What Lies Ahead 3.5/5 * 29 Sanctuary Season 4: Untouchable 4/5 * 30 Supernatural Season 7: Shut Up Dr. Phil 4/5 * 31 The Walking Dead S 2: Bloodletting 4/5 * 32 Supernatural Season 6: And Then There Were None 2.5/5 * 33 Secret Circle S1: Masked 4/5 * 34 Sanctuary S4: Monsoon 3.5/5 * 35 Grimm S1: Pilot ep. 4/5 * 36 Supernatural Season 7: Slash Fiction 4/5 *
 

Bryan^H

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
9,515
16) Rawhead Rex-1986 I used to watch this movie late at night on HBO in the 80's. I remember it being terribly frightening. Fast forward nearly 25 years, and the first viewing I have had of it since so long ago, and it really isn't scary at all. The creature looks sort of goofy(those red googly eyes made me chuckle) and it just isn't much of a movie. Early Clive Barker. C 17) Munchies-1987 Another HBO staple from the 80's. Harvey Corman in duel roles, likeable teenagers that want nothing more than 'sleazy sex'(their words) and little puppet creatures that talk, and get turned to stone when electrified. It is bad, and it tries hard too be funny but I like those type of films.B 18)Troll-1986 No joke, I saw this in theaters when I was a kid and it was my favorite movie at the time. What was I smoking, and may I have some of it again? Wow, this is one irritating movie. I watched Troll 2 a few years ago, and that is so bad it's good. CAn't say the same for this one D
 

John Stell

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
1,359
Location
Columbia, MD
Real Name
John Stell
Bold - Denotes first ever viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 4
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Theatrical/Television Features


096) 10/28/2011 The House of Fear (1939)
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Nothing special in this horror whodunit about a missing corpse, a mysterious killer, and the reopening of the theater where the initial crime took place.


097) 10/28/2011 The Cat and the Canary (1939)
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Funny and suspenseful remake of the 1927 classic made Bob Hope a star. He's one of the possible inheritors of million dollar estate. Murder ensues and there's an escaped maniac on the loose. Great fun.


098) 10/28/2011 Tower of London (1939)
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1/2


Great cast (Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price) in this lurid melodrama about Richard IIII and his murderous ascent to the kingship. Not as involving as one would like though and the finale feels rushed.


099) 10/28/2011 The Return of Dr. X (1939)
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1/2


Reporter finds a dead body which later returns to life. His investigation puts him in pursuit of a deceased scientist. Humphrey Bogart is the horror heavy here and he's quite good. Fast-paced B picture.


100) 10/29/2011 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
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1/2


The Mystery Inc. gang must solve a bizarrre crime spree involving their past cases. Like the first film this is for fans of the series. Silly and enjoyable with a great sequence in a mad doctor's lab.


101) 10/29/2011 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
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1/2


Charles Laughton is memorable as the title character who gets involved in murder and false accusations surrounding the Notre Dame Cathedral. Beautifully realized version of the Victor Hugo novel.


102) 10/29/2011 The Dark Eyes of London (1939)
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Bela Lugosi is a crooked insurance man who commits murder to collect on his policies. Low budget prevents this from rising above the ordinary.


103) 10/29/2011 Herencia Macabre (1939)
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Scientist plots revenge against his wife and her lover. Only comes to life, so to speak, in the last 15 minutes.


104) 10/29/2011 Dance of the Dead (2008)
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1/2


Pretty entertaining mix of teen angst over the prom and standard zombie movie situations. Ending suggests a sequel was planned. But in spite of the good intentions, the movie doesn't really have anything new to offer.


105) 10/29/2011 The Return (2006)
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1/2


Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as trouble young woman who learns the shocking truth behind the visions - or is it flashbacks? - she's been having. Moody, nicely done thriller builds a good atmosphere and has good performances. Resolution doesn't have the strong impact the build up suggests.


106) 10/30/2011 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
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Terrific stop-motion animated feature about Jack Skellington's boredom with Halloween and his sudden interest in Christmas. Visually dazzling, often funny, and some good songs by Danny Elfman.


107) 10/30/2011 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
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Classic made-for-TV horror about woman who inherits her grandparent's house and learns of its horrible secret. Atmospheric and tense, which is not too surprising since it was directed by John Newland, a talented veteran of the TV horror field.


108) 10/30/2011 The Norliss Tapes (1973)
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1/2


Producer/director Dan Curtis' obvious attempt to create another The Night Stalker doesn't quite come off. The problem is Roy Thinnes, who plays the main character, seems bored by the whole thing in both his performance and voice over narration. He plays a missing writer whose cassette tape recordings document a case involving a dead sculpter returned to life. The story itself is fine, but lacks conviction in the telling.


109) 10/30/2011 Dead of Night (1976)
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Trilogy of stories involving time travel, vampires, and boy returned from the grave. The first two are fine but unexceptional. But the last one - "Bobby" - is outstanding and makes the whole thing worthwile. "I'm coming to get you, mommy!"
 

Film

Agent
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
46
Real Name
Dustin
Sleepy Hollow (1999) The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) Total 1. Red Dragon 2. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 3. Creature from the Black Lagoon 4. Attack of the Giant Leeches 5. The Black Cat 6. American Psycho 7. Halloween 8. The Old Dark House 9. Sleepy Hollow 10. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken TV A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King Treehouse of Horror (The Simpsons, 1990)
 

Michael Elliott

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
8,054
Location
KY
Real Name
Michael Elliott
Halloween 4 (1988) :star::star::star: The fourth film in the series has Michael Myers returning to Haddonfield with Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) in pursuit. This time out Myers is trying to track down his niece (Danielle Harris) and he won't let anyone get in his way. Despite the outrage, the Myers-less HALLOWEEN III was actually a pretty good movie but there's no question that they had to bring the legendary killer back and I really can't think of a better way to do it. HALLOWEEN 4 is quite different from the other slasher films out during this period because it tries to scare the viewers and doesn't just go for cheap gore and violence. I think the film is about as good as one could hope for and the cast and director deserve all the credit. Director Dwight H. Little does a wonderful job at building up a very strong and at times eerie atmosphere and you can sense this in the opening sequence as a transportation crew show up to transfer Myers to a different hospital. The film wastes no time cutting to the chase and the lightening and storm really helps set the film off in the right direction. It's really surprising to see how effective this movie actually is and the best moments happen after a group of people lock themselves up in a house not knowing that Myers is already in it. This sequence runs a good twenty-minutes and yet it has you biting your nails. The sequence takes it time in playing out but it really delivers one tense moment after another. This continues all the way up to the ending, which finally has Myers getting his due. You really can't help but feel as if the screenwriters got everything right as the return of Myers is perfectly played out as is his return home and of course the final. Then, of course, there's the twist ending that all horror films have to have. I won't ruin what happens for those who haven't seen the picture but it's certainly a shocker. Another key aspect is how perfectly cast all the actors are. Pleasence is brilliant as usual and it's always great having such a talented actor playing a part like this because they take it so serious and deliver strong work just as if they were in an "A" picture. Harris is also wonderful as the niece and it's easy to see why so many genre fans fell in love with her and continue to worship her. Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr, Sasha Jenson are all good as well and then we have George Wilbur really delivering an effective Myers. At just 88-minutes the film has a perfect flow from start to finish and when you mix in the tension and the performance you really have to tip your hat to the producers who certainly went all out to deliver fans what they wanted. Halloween 5 (1989) :star::half: A year after the events in the previous film, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) is now in a home for children where Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is trying to treat her. This plan takes a turn for the worse when her uncle Michael Myers turns out to be a live and wanting to kill her. There's no question that this is a very bad film but what makes it so much worse is that it followed a very good movie that took the series back to its origins of trying to be scary. This film is so poorly written that one really wonders why the producers wasted so much time making the fourth film so good if they were just going flush the series down the toilet with this entry. You can start with the incredibly bad story that just has so many questionable things going on that the more you think of them the more you hate the film. I won't ruin it but if you're a fan of the series you already know but there's a death of an important character here that happens way too early and in such a poorly done way. What makes this so bad is that the producers and screenwriters must have thought it was a good idea to kill this character off because the others were good enough to carry the story. Wrong. The "new" characters introduced to us here are just so annoying, poorly written and hated that you don't care what happens to them. In fact, you really want to start cheering for Myers to get them off the screen because they're so annoying. Another really bad aspect is some comic relief by two police officers, which is never funny and what's really crazy is that they add in some sound effects ala The Three Stooges. WTF? Things just keep getting worse because there's not an ounce of tension to be found here as it seems like the director was just trying to get the images on screen as quickly as he could without having to build up any fear. Yet more badness is aimed back at the story which thought it might be a good idea to have Jamie and Myers connected through some sort of psychic powers. The scenes of Jamie "feeling" what Myers was doing was just so poorly handles that you can never take it serious. Both Pleasence and Harris are good in their roles but they're given so little to do that they really can't save anything. The same is true for Ellie Cornell and Beau Starr who both find themselves wasted. As with the previous film, this one here does benefit from a nice twist ending that certainly had people talking and wanting an explanation. The one other decent thing here is that a few bits and pieces of an atmosphere happen in spots but not nearly enough to make the film work. Finally, this film was advertised for being able to see Myers without his mask but this too is messed up in an overly dark sequence that just comes off silly and disappointing. In other words, HALLOWEEN 5 is a mess of a film and a very lazy one that really took the series in the wrong direction. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1996) :star::half: Six years after the previous film and its mysterious ending, along came this movie, which promised to put an end to the Michael Myers myth but all it did was upset fans who were still steaming from the previous entry. Jamie Lloyd and her newborn child, fathered by Myers, escapes from the Druids who have been holding her captive and she tries to reach Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) who has now retired. Back in Haddonfield a family has moved into the childhood home of Myers, which he objects to so the killer shows up to add a few more victims. This theatrical version of the sixth film in the series went through many different changes before getting released but this review is just for what we all saw on the big screen in 1995. It's funny but I think time has been kind to it because the previous film has pretty much been destroyed by time. I've always considered this the worst in the series but after these recent viewings I might have to put this one slightly better. What makes it so strange is that the story itself is just crazy and not all that interesting. I'm sure, the freakin' Druids? That's the best they could come up with? I really don't think the film puts a good explanation to the events from part five and even worse is how the Jamie Lloyd character is carried over here. Also on hand is Tommy Doyle, the kid from the first movie but this added attraction really doesn't lend much to the story. In this version it doesn't make too much sense as to what the Druids are up to or why they needed Myers but in all honesty do we really care? The film is quite ugly to look at and I think director Joe Chappelle has to take the blame. There's no suspense to be had here and even worse is that the picture doesn't even feel like a HALLOWEEN movie. Myers has been reduced to nothing and instead of atmosphere we just get some rather graphic killings. Even the performances are pretty bad here. The young Paul Rudd doesn't do much as Tommy, J.C. Brady is a disappointment as Jamie and the rest of the supporting players just don't have much spark. It was somewhat fun seeing Kim Darby (TRUE GRIT) but she's not around for long. Pleasence, who died before the film opened, sadly doesn't get too much to do as it's obvious he was going through some poor health here that affected his speech and walk. It was still great seeing the actor here still giving it his all though. Consider where the series went from here, this was the "last" of the original series and it certainly goes out on a very bad note. After what this and the previous film turned into there's no question that everyone made the right decision to just walk away and try something different. I mean, where to do you after the Druids? Thankfully outer space wasn't the answer. Halloween 666: The Producer's Cut (1996) :star::star: If you're a fan of the HALLOWEEN series then you know that the sixth film was released in a very butchered form but since the original release the bootleg market has been flooded with alternate versions with "The Producer's Cut" considered the best of the bunch. So, is the producer's cut better? Slightly due to a few changes but let's be real here. No matter which cut you watch you're still going to have to put up with a silly story, poor performances, no scares and just an all around sloppy movie. If you haven't seen either version then you might want to stop here because I'm going to get into some heavy spoilers. What does work here is the fact that Jamie isn't killed right off the bat inside the barn. I think the entire series has had a bad thing in regards to how people are killed off and I think the entire Jamie killing was way too sudden in the theatrical cut. You could argue that how she dies here isn't fair to her character but it's better than what we have in the other version. Another major plus is the alternate ending. In the original film it's Loomis who we hear screaming as Michael's body is missing, which implies that the doctor has died. I must admit that I enjoy how Michael gets destroyed in the theatrical cut more but the actual ending with Loomis living is more satisfying. Another change that often gets overlooked happens after the father has slapped his daughter. There's a very quick bit of dialogue showing his anger at his daughter and it somewhat helps explain why he's such a jerk to her. Another noticeable change happens right at the start of the picture when we have Pleasance doing the voice-over narration instead of Paul Rudd. Yet another big sequence is a flashback to the end of part 5 when Jamie is shown being kidnapped. Again, all of these help the film but there are still a few moments that don't work. I think many of the extended dialogue sequences really don't add anything to the film and the murder of the father is shortened to the point where you really have to wonder why. In the theatrical version his body ends up exploding but that's completely missing here. Perhaps they wanted a less-graphic version but if so you have to wonder why they bothered filming it at all. Halloween H20 (1998) :star::star::star: The seventh film in the series wants you to forget the events in parts 3-6 and flashback to the end of part 2 when Michael has been killed and Laurie walks away. Flash-forward twenty years and Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is in fact hiding out trying to forget about her past but things are going to take a turn for the worse when brother Michael Myers shows up to finish what he started two decades earlier. I didn't care too much for this one when it was first released but looking at it today you can't help but considering a minor classic because of everything it does right. Yes, we could debate whether it was fair to overlook so many films and yes the ending to part 2 doesn't leave a few issues with the events that take place here but there's no question that so much of the material here is so strong that you can overlook the minor flaws. I think the best thing going for the film is the return of Curtis who doesn't miss a beat even though she had been away from this character and the genre for quite a while. The first fifty-minutes is pretty much a character study as we get to learn what her character has been up to the previous twenty-years. We learn that she's in constant fear of her brother, has resorted to abusing alcohol and is pretty much driving her son (Josh Hartnett) crazy with all of her paranoia. Curtis so masterfully nails her performance here that you can't help but argue that it might be the greatest of her career and the way she builds up these demons was pretty remarkable to watch as was how she played everything when she finally faces her fear. The cast also has some good young faces turning in fine performances including Hartnett, Michelle Williams, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adam Hann-Byrd and even LL Cool J in a small part. We even get a very good cameo from Janet Leigh and the legendary car from PSYCHO. The screenplay is pretty good early on with the character stuff but it also delivers in the second half with the stalk and slash stuff begins. I thought they along with director Steve Miner managed to build up some nice suspense and they never go overboard with the death scenes. I think you could also argue that this was Miner's strongest film as a director as he keeps the pacing just right and manages to make for a very exciting final twenty-minutes. The ending, without giving away any spoilers, lives up to the hype and really delivers the goods making it the perfect way to close the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers saga. Sadly, HALLOWEEN H20 made a ton of money and a sequel followed. Halloween: Resurrection (2002) :star::star: The sequel no one wanted but got anyways has some producers getting the bright idea to send six teens into the childhood home of Michael Myers on Halloween to see if they can come up with any evidence of why he's so evil. The house is rigged with cameras as are the six teens and they've got a group watching online but it doesn't take long for Myers to show up and start slicing them. HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION isn't as horrid as some have made it out but there's no denying the fact that it's pretty lifeless, useless and in the end it really wasn't needed. Director Rick Rosenthal, who also helmed HALLOWEEN II, doesn't do that good of a job here but I don't think he can take the full blame. One of the biggest problems is the actual screenplay that once again gives us an incredibly stupid story that simply makes very little sense. The movie starts off informing us how a sequel is even possible and the way they change the events that happened in HALLOWEEN H20 was just downright stupid and this opening twenty-minute sequence is just so bad, so lacking in scares and so silly that it really ruins the rest of the film. This first portion is pretty much its own separate movie as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is in an asylum and Michael comes to visit. I found this entire sequence to be lacking and in the end it was really a horrible way to end the character. Once we hit the reality webcam stuff things don't get much better. The screenplay once again doesn't give us any characters to care about and most of those in the house are just downright annoying. The entire subplot with some party people watching it online really adds nothing to the movie. The way the film bounces back from actual footage and the webcam stuff grows rather annoying as things go on as well. Performance wise no one is all that memorable but Busta Rhymes gets the top-billing and doesn't do too bad of a job. It's rather sad seeing Curtis in the opening scenes because she and her character should have made their exit in the previous one. I understand the producer's need to make more money but the Laurie story should have been closed up or at least brought back in a better way. The killings are a tad bit more graphic this time around as well. HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTED is a film hated by many and I really can't blame them. As mediocre as everything is in the movie there's still some weird charm that comes from it. It's certainly not the worse in the series but thankfully it all ended here.
 

TravisR

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2004
Messages
42,429
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The basement of the FBI building
^ I spent the day watching Halloween movies and we have fairly similar views. 106. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch Very dark movie about a man who is trying to kill millions of people by using black magic via latex Halloween kids' masks. About 15 years ago, I watched this movie again and realized that it's not as bad as my memory and its reputation said. Despite massive lapses in logic, the movie does have some good points like the photography and score. I think the idea of a Halloween anthology movie is a great idea and it's a shame that this movie wasn't embraced more when it came out because they probably would have continued on with a different story each year. 107. Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers Easily the best of the Carpenter-less Halloween sequels. Likable characters, good actors, good score, nice atmosphere. 108. Halloween 5 From one of the best to possibly the worst. 109. Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers This is not a good movie but I guess it's charmed me slightly over the years. I've only seen Paul Rudd in comedies so it's odd to see him in this type of role (and to be charitable, he's a very green actor here). I've seen the producer's cut and it's slightly better but that version is not a particularly good movie either. 110. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the franchise in a lackluster sequel. It has nice production values and looks nice but it's not even remotely scary or suspenseful. 111. Halloween Resurrection Another lame sequel but Busta Rhymes (who can act but doesn't have a good part) and the dated technology give it a camp value that will grow as time goes on. I'll give them one thing though- they did make Michael brutal in this entry. Tomorrow, I'll watch Rob Zombie's Halloween movies and that'll probably wrap it up for me. Totals: 1. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) 2. A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2- Freddy's Revenge 3. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3- Dream Warriors 4. A Nightmare On Elm Street 4- The Dream Master 5. A Nightmare On Elm Street- The Dream Child 6. Freddy's Dead- The Final Nightmare 7. Wes Craven's New Nightmare 8. A Nightmare On Elm Steet (2010) 9. The Hills Have Eyes (1977) 10. Scream 11. Scream 2 12. Scream 3 13. Scream 4 14. Friday The 13th (1980) (uncut) 15. Friday The 13th Part 2 16. Friday The 13th Part 3 17. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter 18. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning 19. Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part VI 20. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood 21. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 22. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday 23. Jason X 24. Freddy Vs. Jason 25. Friday The 13th (2009) (uncut) 26. The Mist 27. Firestarter 28. Saw 29. Saw II (uncut) 30. Saw III (uncut) 31. Saw IV (uncut) 32. Saw V (uncut) 33. Saw VI (uncut) 34. Saw 3D (uncut) 35. Piranha (1978) 36. The Howling 37. Gremlins 38. Prom Night (1980) 39. He Knows You're Alone 40. Terror Train 41. Maniac (1980) 42. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (uncut) 43. Eyes Of A Stranger 44. The Prowler 45. Graduation Day 46. The Burning 47. Happy Birthday To Me 48. Hell Night 49. Madman 50. April Fool's Day (1986) 51. Psycho (1960) 52. Psycho II 53. Psycho III 54. Psycho IV: The Beginning 55. The Thing (1982) 56. The Thing (2011) 57. Cabin Fever (director's cut) 58. Hostel (director's cut) 59. Hostel Part II (uncut) 60. Let The Right One In 61. Let Me In 62. Silver Bullet 63. The Stepfather (1987) 64. The Car 65. Road Games 66. Someone's Watching Me! 67. The Fog (1980) 68. Christine 69. Prince Of Darkness 70. Body Bags 71. In The Mouth Of Madness 72. Village Of The Damned (1995) 73. Vampires 74. Ghosts Of Mars 75. Masters Of Horror: Cigarette Burns 76. Masters Of Horrror: Pro-Life 77. Planet Terror 78. Paranormal Activity 3 79. Cat People (1942) 80. I Walked With A Zombie 81. The Leopard Man 82. The Seventh Victim 83. The Ghost Ship 84. The Curse Of The Cat People 85. The Body Snatcher 86. Isle Of The Dead 87. Bedlam 88. Pet Sematary 89. Pet Semetary II 90. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) 91. Dawn Of The Dead (1978) 92. Day Of The Dead (1985) 93. Creepshow 94. Creepshow 2 95. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 96. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (unrated) 97. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (unrated) 98. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation 99. Eaten Alive 100. The Funhouse 101. Twilight 102. New Moon 103. Eclipse 104. Halloween (1978) 105. Halloween II (1981) 106. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch 107. Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers 108. Halloween 5 109. Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers 110. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later 111. Halloween Resurrection bold= new viewing
 

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